The United States and Iran are still in a stalemate when it comes to negotiations, regarding curbing the nuclear programme in Tehran, with the two sides disagreeing on the duration and terms of limitations. Washington has suggested that Iran should suspend its nuclear activities in 20 years with Tehran suggesting that it would only agree to a five-year suspension according to reports quoting people involved in the talks.
The dispute has proven to be one of the major hurdles to the continued diplomatic moves which have not led to a breakthrough in the recent negotiations in Islamabad. These talks were meant to help in de-escalating a situation that had been on the verge of escalating due to weeks of friction between the US, Israel and Iran.
The stance of Iran is indicative of its demands to keep its long-term rights to nuclear rights as specified in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which gives Iran the right to generate nuclear fuel used in peaceful purposes. A reduced period of suspension, the officials propose, would allow Tehran to continue to insist that it has not forsaken these rights forever.
The other significant area of contention is the US insistence that Iran withdraws some 970 pounds of near weapons-grade uranium on its soil. Washington states that this measure is necessary in order to stop the material becoming a potential weapons programme. Iran is still hesitant, though, seeing the need as a stretch, and a danger to its strategic independence.
As both parties are standing their ground over major areas of concern, the future of an agreement is unclear. Experts caution that the continued stalemate may further destabilize the region, and make it difficult to have diplomatic intervention to curb the spread of nuclear weapons around the world.